1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic drinking straw dispensing device which can effectively and sanitarily dispense a drinking straw, stirrer, rolled napkin assembly, or smoker's article automatically and efficiently, and without taking up substantial amounts of space, such that upon the purchase of a beverage or other article from a vending machine at a remote location a consumer has such products easily available for use.
2. Description of the Related Art
Drinking straws are frequently utilized to assist with beverage consumption, and in particular many individuals prefer the use of drinking straws when drinking from a container such as a bottle or can. Specifically, because bottles, and cans especially, are frequently distributed by a dispensing machine, and a user must generally place their mouth on an exterior, exposed portion thereof during drinking, many persons prefer to utilize straws for sanitary purposes. Furthermore, a can or bottle can sometimes include a sharp surface which may injure an individual, or may be uncomfortable to drink as a person's mouth generally covers the entire opening and makes it difficult to sip the liquid due to the lack of an air inlet. As a result, most commercial establishments make straws available to their consumers in order to satisfy their sanitary preferences. For example, it is a frequent occurrence that a large dispensing assembly be placed on a counter such that an individual, merely by depressing a lever or turning a knob my effectively dispense a clean drinking straw for their consumption needs.
One commercial location at which drinking straws are not make readily available, however, relates to automatic dispensing machines. Because such machines do not require an attendant be present, and are generally positioned outside or in a confined area, drinking straws are generally not made available, partly for fear that another will tamper with the drinking straws or will take excessive quantities of the drinking straws such that they will not be available for subsequent consumers, and partly because of the limited or non-existing counter space available at the site of the machine. Accordingly, individuals receiving a beverage from an automatic dispenser are generally left to find their own straws or a napkin so as to wipe down the surface of the can around the opening.
Generally, most conventional drinking straw dispensing devices are manually actuated bins wherein an individual may pull/push on a lever or turn a knob in order to dispense a straw for their use. A consumer is able to take as many straws as they desire whenever they desire, and generally the bins are located on a counter top or other location such that an employee can ensure that the dispenser is not tampered with or unnecessarily emptied. Unfortunately, however, there is a substantial need in the art for a compact and conveniently useable dispensing assembly which can be implemented with an automatic beverage dispensing machine. Such a device should be able to fit conveniently within existing beverage dispensing machines without taking up substantial space, and be safe and efficient, ensuring that it cannot be un-necessarily emptied.
In the past, another had attempted to develop automated dispensing machines to dispense a drinking straw. In particular, the reference to Yingst et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,166) discloses a drinking straw dispenser to be utilized with a vending machine. However, such a device dispenses the straws endwise, thereby requiring a substantial amount of space within the vending machine housing be allocated for the straw dispensing assembly, as it is structured to pivot the straw outwardly for dispensing. Furthermore, such a device can easily become backed up if a user does not actually remove the straw dispensed to them. Specifically, as a subsequent straw is dispensed, if the previously dispensed straw was not retrieved the new straw will merely push the previously dispensed straw out onto the ground. Moreover, the opening from which the dispensed straw is pulled is not configured so as to prevent tampering with a straw contained therein such that a mischievous individual may tamper with a straw, but not remove it, and it will be dispensed subsequently to a further unsuspecting consumer.
Accordingly, there is a substantial need in the art for an automatic drinking straw dispensing device which can take up minimal space within an automatic dispensing machine, and which conveniently positions the straw for retrieval by consumer only when actually desired by a consumer. Furthermore, such a device should be simple and inexpensive, and provide minimal risk of tampering with the straw, backing up of un-retrieved straws or retrieval of excess amounts of straws. The device of the present invention is such a product.